The demand for enhanced performance and functionality of integrated circuit components continues to increase design and fabrication complexity. The substrates designed for these components will need to be manufactured with multiple layers of copper on dielectric material. The width of copper traces is continually shrinking making adhesion of copper to dielectric more difficult. One method commonly used to promote adhesion of copper to dielectric build-up material is desmear. Desmear typically involves treating an organic substrate surface with a sweller to infiltrate polymer free volume and prepare the surface for oxidation, an oxidizing agent such as permanganate or chromate to promote micro roughness by oxidizing polar species on the surface and near the surface of the dielectric, and a neutralizer to remove any reaction by-products or solvents from the previous steps and de-swell the matrix. However, higher average roughness alone will not necessarily result in better adhesion or higher peel strength. Adhesion is strongly dependent on the surface profile formed on the surface after desmear.